Compact urinary catheter with stiffening member

Abstract

A urinary catheter system, the system comprising: a urinary catheter having a distal end configured for insertion into a urethra and a proximal end, the urinary catheter including an elongate tubular member having a lumen extending between the proximal and the distal ends thereof, an elongate stiffening member attached to or embedded within a wall of the elongate tubular member, wherein the stiffening member is predisposed to assume a generally straight shape; a sheath slidably disposed over a portion of the urinary catheter near the distal end and configured to allow the urinary catheter to be advanced into the urethra without directly touching the urinary catheter; an enclosure for housing the urinary catheter, the enclosure comprising: a bottom member comprising a base and an inner wall with an inner hole leading to an inner open portion of the enclosure; and a top member comprising an outer wall with an outer hole leading out of the enclosure, wherein the top member is attached to the bottom member so as to rotate relative to the bottom member about an axis of rotation, wherein rotating the top member or the bottom member relative to the other member causes the urinary catheter to wind into a spiral between the inner wall of the bottom member and the outer wall of the top member; and a urine collection bag attached to the proximal end of the urinary catheter and housed within the inner open portion of the enclosure.

We Claim: 
     
         1 . A urinary catheter system, the system comprising:
 a urinary catheter having a distal end configured for insertion into a urethra and a proximal end, the urinary catheter including an elongate tubular member having a lumen extending between the proximal and the distal ends thereof, an elongate stiffening member attached to or embedded within a wall of the elongate tubular member, wherein the stiffening member is predisposed to assume a generally straight shape;   a sheath slidably disposed over a portion of the urinary catheter near the distal end and configured to allow the urinary catheter to be advanced into the urethra without directly touching the urinary catheter;   an enclosure for housing the urinary catheter, the enclosure comprising:
 a bottom member comprising a base and an inner wall with an inner hole leading to an inner open portion of the enclosure; and 
 a top member comprising an outer wall with an outer hole leading out of the enclosure, wherein the top member is attached to the bottom member so as to rotate relative to the bottom member about an axis of rotation, 
   wherein rotating the top member or the bottom member relative to the other member causes the urinary catheter to wind into a spiral between the inner wall of the bottom member and the outer wall of the top member; and   a urine collection bag attached to the proximal end of the urinary catheter and housed within the inner open portion of the enclosure.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening member includes a shape memory alloy having a generally straight shape home state, wherein the urinary catheter assumes an arcuate shape when the urinary catheter is housed within the enclosure, and wherein the stiffening member exerts a force on the urinary catheter member urging the urinary catheter into a generally straight shape when the urinary catheter is removed from the enclosure. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy is a nickel-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate tubular member has a first durometer and the stiffening member has a second durometer which is greater than the first durometer. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate tubular member has a first modulus of elasticity and the stiffening member has a second modulus of elasticity which is greater than the first modulus of elasticity. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening member is one of a solid member, a hollow member, a woven member, a mesh member, and a braided member. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sheath comprises at least one outward facing protrusion to facilitate gripping the sheath and sliding the sheath along the catheter by a user. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sheath comprises at least one inward facing protrusion to facilitate sliding the sheath along the catheter by a user. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a hygienic sleeve disposed over at least a portion of the catheter to prevent contamination of the catheter before and during insertion into the urethra. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the hygienic sleeve comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastics and polymers. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a disposable package, and wherein the catheter, the sheath and the urine collection bag are completely removable from the enclosure. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a teardrop-shaped package for storing the urinary catheter, the sheath, the enclosure and the urine collection bag before use. 
     
     
         13 . A method for using a urinary catheter system to void a bladder of a patient, the method comprising:
 contacting, with one of the patient's hands, a sheath disposed over a urinary catheter near a distal end of the urinary catheter, the urinary catheter including an elongate tubular member having a lumen extending between the proximal and the distal ends thereof, an elongate stiffening member attached to or embedded within a wall of the elongate tubular member, wherein the stiffening member is predisposed to assume a generally straight shape;   wherein a majority of the urinary catheter is housed in an enclosure comprising a top member and a bottom member, and wherein the distal end of the urinary catheter is located outside an outer hole in the enclosure;   advancing the urinary catheter out of the enclosure by pulling on the urinary catheter via the sheath;   advancing the distal end of the urinary catheter into a urethra of the patient while continuing to contact only the sheath and not the urinary catheter with the patient's hand;   sliding the sheath proximally along the urinary catheter;   advancing the distal end of the urinary catheter through the patient's urethra and into the patient's bladder, using the sheath;   unfolding a urine collection bag attached to a proximal end of the urinary catheter, wherein the urine collection bag is stored in an inner open portion of the enclosure before unfolding; and   voiding the patient's bladder through the catheter, so that urine passes from the patient's bladder through the urinary catheter and into the urine collection bag.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising, after voiding the patient's bladder:
 removing the urine collection bag from the urinary catheter; and   winding the urinary catheter into the enclosure by twisting at least one of a top portion of the enclosure or a bottom portion of the enclosure.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising attaching a new urine collection bag to the proximal end of the urinary catheter via a tubular adapter coupled between the proximal end of the urinary catheter and the new urine collection bag. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising removing the urinary catheter and the urine bag completely from the enclosure. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising disposing of the urinary catheter, the enclosure and the urine bag after the bladder is voided. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein contacting the sheath comprises contacting at least one outward facing protrusion on the sheath. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein sliding the sheath proximally along the urinary catheter is performed multiple times as the catheter is advanced through the urethra. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising sliding a hygienic sleeve proximally along the urinary catheter during advancement of the catheter through the urethra.